


Poison Chalice but it's Arthur who sippy

by taylor_tut



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Whump, Gen, Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Poisoning, Protective Merlin, Sick Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Sickfic, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23239531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taylor_tut/pseuds/taylor_tut
Summary: i'm rewatching merlin because i have no self-control and this was a request from my tumblr for "what if arthur drank the wine in The Poison Chalice instead?"
Comments: 2
Kudos: 125





	Poison Chalice but it's Arthur who sippy

“This is ridiculous,” Arthur argued, rolling his eyes as he stood very intentionally between his father, Merlin, and the proffered chalice. “If he drinks that, and he’s right, he’ll die.”

“Then we’ll know he’s telling the truth,” Uther reasoned. 

“It’s fine,” Merlin interjected, taking an infuriating step forward directly over the line between brave and hopelessly stupid. “I’ll drink it.” 

“You won’t,” Arthur fought in a hushed tone. “Because if you’re wrong, you’ll be imprisoned, and if you’re right, you’ll be poisoned.” 

“And either way, it’s not your problem anymore, right?” 

He said it with mirth in his tone, but the sentiment churned Arthur’s stomach. That was it—the way the poor of this kingdom felt about him, about his father and his whole court. Like they were either problems in waiting or problems in progress, just hanging around trying to keep their heads down until Uther eventually decided it was time to take care of them. Damn him, even when Arthur took the chalice in his own hand, Merlin reached for it as if he were only passing it to him. When he instead put it to his lips and drained it in one go, Merlin froze; Uther shouted; Gaius gasped. Everyone was silent for a moment, holding their collective breaths to see what was going to happen. 

He took inventory of himself—the wine hadn’t tasted off, nor had it burned going down. It had smelled normal, if a bit too dry for his liking. 

“It’s fine,” he announced after a long, pensive pause. 

Uther pounced like he’d been waiting for it. “Arrest the boy,” he called, and before he could even argue, his mind went totally blank. There was a sort of tickle in the back of his throat, one which made him question for a moment if the drink wasn’t going to stay down. He tried to clear it, but to no avail, and he took a very slight stumbling step forward. His skin felt like it was on fire, but deep in his bones, a chill had settled in, one which was so horribly strong that he was sure he must be dying.

“Arthur?” Merlin’s voice, suddenly close in his ear and more worried than he had any right to sound, called. He couldn’t bring himself to reply before his eyes fluttered shut and the last thing he was aware of was Merlin’s tiny, weak body trying his best to ease his fall to the floor as he collapsed, all the sounds blurring together into one buzz of royal panic. 

The next time he opened his eyes, it was to Merlin sitting at his bedside, looking exhausted and roughed-up. 

“What in the world happened to you?” he asked, visibly startling Merlin from his thoughts. 

“Arthur!” he breathed, a wide smile breaking out across his tired-looking face.

“You’re filthy,” Arthur complained, glancing down at the bed to see that Merlin was bleeding through admittedly shallow-looking scratches onto the bed he’d apparently been propped next to for quite some time. There were marks of mud where he’d clearly rested his head on the foot of the bed, though from the looks of him, those sleeps had never lasted long. “And bleeding on my sheets.” 

“I’m the one who washes them, anyway,” Merlin replied with a relieved laugh. He wasn’t going to be distracted despite Arthur’s best efforts. “You’re alive.” 

He nodded. 

“Thanks, I’m guessing, in no small part to you.” 

Confoundingly humble all of a sudden, Merlin simply shrugged with a small smile. “I’m just glad you’re alright.” He stood, probably for the first time in hours, and rushed to the door. “I’m going to find Gaius and tell him you’re awake.”

All Arthur could do was nod and lean his head back against the pillows again, trying not to think too hard about who would be the death of whom in this new and very reluctant friendship. 


End file.
